Method of locking wires together.



Azo

Patented July 19, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

STERL G. SHAW, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE FROST VWIRE FENCE CO., OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

METHOD OF LOCKING WIRES TOGETHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 765,257, dated July 19, 1904:.

' Application filed December 14, 1903. Serial No. 185,024. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEEL G. SHAW, a citizenof the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Method of Locking 1Wires Together; and Ido declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a new and improved method of locking wires together; and the invention consists in the method substantially as shown andv described, and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of two wires and my lock or tie in locking position thereon as it appears in a fence construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation on line y y, Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a sectional of the lock and wires. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the parts assembled and as appears just before final locking is effected. Fig. 5 is a View of the lock itself as an article of manufacture.

A represents one of a series of horizontal wires of a fence, and B is a vertical wire which is threaded through openings 2 in the sides c of U -shaped lock C, which constitutes the locking member of the union. This lock or tie, in effect, becomes a lock when the wires are threaded through the samesay, as seen in Fig. 4-and in making permanent locking engagement the wires themselves become an integral part of the combination to produce a strong and unitary construction. Now having threaded or united the parts, as in Fig. 4, by lirst placing the lock on the horizontal wire and then threading the vertical wire down through the lock the said parts are further and rigidly fixed together by forcibly driving a portion of the metal of the lock itself into the horizontal or next adjacent wire, and this is done by striking or driving a tool into back 3 of the lock, so as to produce a projection or hump 4 therein opposite the crossing of wires A and B, whereby wire A is bent and has plan View on line m Fig. 2,A

formed in it a rounded indentation 5 and a 50 projection or hump 6 at its rear, caused by drivingor forcing the projection or hump 4 of the back of the lock thereinto and seen in Figs. 2 and 3. As this occurs the wire B itself is struck back or bent at 7, forming a projection or hump 8 opposite its indentation 7, Fig. 3, and said hump or projection is forced back correspondingly out of a vertical line between the upper and lower sides c of blank or lock C, Fig. 2, thus forming' a shoul- 60 dered engagement of said wire B within lock A at its holes 2 and against the edges of said holes. The said lock C is preferably made out of sheet metal; but other metal than steel may be used, and when indented, as at 4, on the outside of its back 3 the projection 4 produced thereby necessarily bites or is driven into the body of wire A and thoroughly locks said wire therewith.

Thus it is seen that when wires are brought together in the relation shown in a lock of this special kind a suitable blow or thrust delivered to produce indentation 4 will cause all the metal behind the same to How into interlocking' relation. This of course assumes that 75 the lock and wires are properly backed to resist the blow or thrust except where yielding is required, and a hand-tool made for the purpose of erecting fences may be used, or the work may be done in the factory where the wire 8O structure as such is produced or otherwise.

In order to get the proper locking effect, as described, the preferable point for striking the lock is on the back thereof opposite the exact center of crossing of wires A and B. More than one indentation or projection may be made in the parts, but the one has been found suificient for all practical purposes.

The greatest strain that a lock of this character comes under is from weight or pressure down upon wire A, as would occur if a person were to step thereon in climbing over a fence; but the interlocking of the parts by my construction is such that this strain is easily withstood, and, indeed, the fence will withstand any strain that may come upon it within the strength of the wire and not yield or surrender in the lock itself.

Loek C as an article may be made in any available Way; but the preferred way is to strike it from sheet-steel and bend it into shape, with its sides c substantially parallel and its back 3 straight, and in this form it goes to the trade.

Obviously this invention is not necessarily limited to building` Wire fences, but may be used in other manufactures as Well and Whenever a connection of this kind becomes desir? able.

What I claim is- The method of locking Wires together, consisting in uniting the wires ina suitable lock and then driving a portion of the lock itself forcibly against the next adjacent Wire, thereby forcing both said Wires into interlocking relation and embedding a portion of the lock in one of said Wires, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specica- 2O tion in the presence of two Witnesses.

STERL G. SHAW.

Witnesses:

R. B. MOSER, C. A. SELL. 

